Aug 21 grenade attack: Fakhrul ‘surprised’ by court’s observations

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stated that he is surprised by the observations that the court made on the August 21 grenade attack case.

The senior BNP leader made the statement while speaking at a news conference in Dhaka on Friday.

“The observation that the attack was aided by the then state machinery is not logical,” claimed Mirza Fakhrul.

“We are surprised to see that the court’s observations reflect the ruling party’s statements,” added the BNP leader.

Notably, Judge Shahed Nuruddin on Wednesday said in the verdict that the 2004 grenade attack was carried out to obliterate the Awami League, the main opposition party then.

“Homegrown militants in connivance with their foreign peers launched the attack, helped by the then state machinery,” the judge added in the verdict.

Mirza Fakhrul also brought up the allegation that the law enforcers took confession against Tarique Rahman from Mufti Hannan under duress.

“It’s logical to conclude that the government fast-tracked the execution of Mufti Hannan in another case not to allow him to tell the court that his confession was extracted under duress. The court was surprisingly silent on this issue,” he said.

The BNP leader urged the High Court to review the sentencing of Tarique and others based on Mufti Hannan’s confession “which he later retracted”.

On Wednesday, a Dhaka court sentenced Lutfozzaman Babar, former Deputy Minister for Education Abdus Salam Pintu and 17 others to death in the August 21 grenade attack case.

Moreover, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, leader Abul Harris Chowdhury and 15 others, have received life imprisonment in the case.